Summer Islamic youth training camp recruitment is not far away

CHARLOTTE, NC: Just because the terrorist activity has abated since Donald Trump took office as president, do not be lulled into a false sense of security regarding the prospects of future terror attacks. As Democrats have proclaimed since day one of Trump’s election, and as others, including his most avid supporters, realize the president `is frequently a “loose cannon.” That said, Islamic extremists are pragmatic.

They know all to well that challenging someone who is likely to retaliate with an unpredictable “ready, fire, aim” response is not a person to be taken lightly.

Under Barack Obama’s leadership, Western reactions to terrorism were far too predictable.

The president would disappear then, three days later, following healing, hand-holding vigils, he would appear on television to condemn the acts of violence and assure the American people the culprits would be brought to justice. When no results ever came to fruition, another attack would eventually follow and the cycle would repeat itself.

Lest we believe Islamic extremism is no longer a priority is precisely what the Islamists want. Patience is the key to their strategy. Terrorism has not died, it is merely hibernating until Western leaders return to more predictable ways.

One question many unaware non-Muslims ask is “If Islam is so bad, why does it continue to grow in such large numbers?”

The answer is long and complicated, but as The Clarion Projectpoints out in a recent article about ISIS training camps for children, one reason is purely and simply indoctrination and brainwashing.

Terrorist growing their ranks with children

Many of us in the United States grow up belonging to one political party or another because we hear the biases argued in our homes. The same is true of religion, which sports teams we favor or our particular styles of music or movies. The list is endless.

Now consider being told from the day you are born that Christians and Jews are evil and that Islam is the one true religion. Multiply that by all the other children learning the same lessons in their own homes and the only way to rid the world of the infidels is to wipe them off the face of the planet and you have a nearly insurmountable recipe for future terror.

The permutations are frightening and altering those homegrown prejudices is virtually impossible. And so, as families grow so, too, do the number of advocates for the faith.

As The Clarion Project reports, a filmmaker recently embedded himself for several weeks with the Islamic State in Raqqa to document how children are being indoctrinated into the hatred and violence of Islamic extremism.

The video is chilling.

The son of Abdullah the Belgian

In one scene, Abdullah the Belgian, as he is called, journeys to Syria with his young son to enroll him into a training camp. States Abdullah, “All of them love to fight for the building of the Islamic State and for the sake of God.”

More accurately, of course, is the fact that Abdullah himself loves the fight while his son is merely the catalyst.

When Abdullah crouches down to speak to his six or seven-year-old son, the film takes on a frightening new tone.

“Why do we kill the infidels? What have the infidels done?” Abdullah asks.

The boy responds `with uncertainty saying, “They kill Muslims.”

Located on the shores of the Euphrates River, the camp could be like a summer camp in the West with one significant difference…weapons.

During the holy days of Ramadan, boys cool off in the river while the men, their mentors, swim with them in seemingly innocent surroundings. Innocence is far from reality however, for this is a deadly business.

In an on-camera interview, ISIS press officer Abu Mosa states unequivocally that his own life centers around war.

“I don’t go (home) at all. The family, honestly, is the least important thing. There is a higher purpose. No one will defend the Muslims if we all sat at home with the family,” Mosa says.

Learning Sharia Law at a tender age

According to Mosa, children under 15 go to Jihadi camp to learn Sharia that covers Islam’s creed and ideology. Those over 16 attend camps where they are able to participate in military operations. Usama Ibn Zaid, the adopted son of the Prophet Muhammad, once led an army against the Romans when he was just 17 or 18 years old.

In the video, a nine-year-old boy is asked about his military goals after Ramadan, to which he answers proudly, “To fight the Russians, Americans. The infidels.”

When the interviewer asks, “You are quite young. Do you know how to use a gun? Have you shot a gun before?”

The boy’s reply is simply, “Yes.”

Numerous rallies are depicted throughout the film showing hundreds of children standing beside adults waving large Islamic State flags. Imagery is critically important for recruiting.

As a major part of the indoctrination process and propaganda, youngsters are shown listening intently to testimonials as one man sings “Beautiful virgins are calling, enroll me as a martyr.”

Finally, at the end of each event, the crowd is asked to pledge allegiance to the head of the self-declared caliph of the Islamic State, Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Summer camp differs drastically from the West to the Middle East.

While we shoot bows and arrows and run three-legged races, Muslim youth are building home-made bombs, assembling rifles and fantasizing about a virgin-filled paradise where they will be rewarded for killing infidels.

Donald Trump may be unpredictable, but his erratic methods are keeping terrorist in the shadows….for the moment, at least.

Don’t get too comfortable.

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About the Author:

Bob Taylor is a veteran writer who has traveled throughout the world. Taylor is an award-winning television producer/reporter/anchor before focusing on writing about international events, people and cultures around the globe.

Bob Taylor has been travel writer for more than three decades. Following a career as an award winning sports producer/anchor, Taylor’s media production business produced marketing presentations for Switzerland Tourism, Rail Europe, the Finnish Tourist Board, Japan Railways Group, the Swedish Travel & Tourism Council and the Swiss Travel System among others. He is founder of The Magellan Travel Club (www.MagellanTravelClub.com) and his goal is to visit 100 countries or more during his lifetime.